No, Slow, Grow, GO!

My last post got quite a response, and not quite the response I meant for it to. But I think the results were good in many ways. As one of my friends pointed out, sometimes we live our lives because of the lessons we have to learn, and sometimes we live our lives so that others may learn. I know there have been others in my life whose experiences have served as that fresh helping of perspective for me.

I want to first, assure you…I am fine. It was simply, one of those days. All of those concerns are part of my thoughts at least once a day, but not nearly as prominently as they were that day. But after reading everyone’s responses…and thank you for your encouragement and faith in me…here is what I have concluded. We have all experienced that feeling of hoping for a wish, or desire to granted.

Specifically, a righteous desire.

To clarify, a righteous desire is something that you really, really want that it is okay for you to want because you are supposed to want it. Examples; getting married, having children, getting a decent job, blessings of health and strength-these things are righteous desires. I have 2 dear friends who are about my age, who have not had the opportunity to marry yet. I think of my sister, who for 5 long years wanted nothing more than children…and although she adopted two beautiful girls, she had to wait 5 years more to realize the promise of biological children. Many who share my stories with me have at some point, or is currently experiencing, this desperate yearning. And their prayers go apparently unanswered.

I say apparently, because, outside of myself….I give very good advice. I know the pleas they offer have not fallen on deaf ears. I would tell them that I knew without a doubt that the Lord loved them and that he wasn’t ignoring them. I would tell them he could see the whole map, and they could only see the road they were on. He knew where it would turn, and where it was necessary to detour to get to our ultimate destiny. A destiny only He knows.

Then why doesn’t he give us the map? Because life is an adventure. Recently I did an interview with a woman who is a thru hiker. A thru hiker is someone who hikes long distances…like a 7 month stint on the Appalachian trail, or the Buckeye Trail which wraps around the state of Ohio. She talked about how no one, anymore, understands what an adventure is. They want instant gratification without any effort. An adventure takes work, and you must overcome adversity…before you can obtain the sense of real accomplishment.

So why doesn’t He at least give us the distance to the next rest stop? Because answers from Him come in one of four ways;

If it’s not right, the answer is no,
If the timing is wrong, the answer is slow,
If you are not ready, the answer is grow,
If everything’s right, the answer is go.

You have to wait for the go.

The key is being ready for the go when it comes!